Nylon-coated sheer open-mesh hair net and process for forming same



H. F. NYLON-COATED SHEER OPEN-MESH HAIR GOLDSMITH NET AND PROCESS FORFORMING SAME Filed Nov. 5, 1948 BY I *1;

Patented ug. 17, 1954 UNiTED STATES TENT OFFICE NYLON-COATED SHEEROPEN-MESH HAIR NET AND PROCESS FOR FORMING SAME 2 Claims. l

The present invention relates to sheer openmesh netted fabrics for usein hair-nets, veilings, curtains, and the like and it relates moreparticularly to a new and improved article of manufacture and a processof treating such fabrics so as to render them stronger and easier tohandle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedarticle of manufacture, and a process of manufacturing sheer openmeshfabrics for hair-nets, veilings, curtains, and the like. Another objectof the present invention is to provide a novel process of treating sheeropen-mesh fabrics so as to render them stronger and easier to handle.Still another object of the present invention is to provide a relativelystrcng non-entangling long-lasting openmesh fabric at relatively7 lowcost.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent inthe following detailed description and appended claims.

Sheer open-mesh fabrics are very widely used for hair-nets, veilings,curtains, and the like. These fabrics are usually constructed of textilematerials and have threads or courses of loopstitches running diagonallyand fastened to adjoining threads or courses of loop-stitches at spacedintervals so as to form a series of diamond-shaped or octagonal or otherpolygonal openings. The sheer open-mesh fabrics commercially producedtoday are usually manufactured on knitting machines or lace-makingmachines in a manner well-known in the art.

One such type of sheer open-mesh fabric is shown in my Patent 2,428,071and is formed of courses of knitted loops which are fastened toadjoining courses at spaced intervals by iioating inlay threads to givea series of generally diamond-shaped openings in what is commonlyreferred to as a Raschel construction,

These sheer open-mesh fabrics are usually knitted or otherwise formedunder tension and, when the tension is released, the fabric tends tocontract due to the inherent resilience of the structure. When this typeof sheer open-mesh fabric is not under tension, it has a marked tendencyto tangle and is quite apt to tearl during a disentangling operation dueto its sheerness and the very ne gauge threads employed.

It has been suggested, in my Patent 2,428,071, to apply a coating of athermo-setting or thermoplastic synthetic resin to the open-mesh fabricso as to render it less susceptible to tangling and, at the same time,to strengthen the structure, particularly by bonding the juncture pointsof the threads. However, the application of the synthetic resin to thefabric presents serious problems, from an industrial standpoint. IThus,While the individual threads or bers can be coated preliminary to theknitting or similar forming operation, this is relatively costly andtimeconsuming and has not been found to be very practical.

On the other hand, if the sheer open-mesh fabric is rst formed and issubsequently coated after leaving the knitting machine, or the like. thetendency to tangle, as referred to above, makes it extremely difficultto apply the synthetic plastic properly so as to effect the properdisposition of the coating without tearing or otherwise injuring thefabric.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 32,- 645, filed June 12, 1948,now U. S. Patent 2,601,- 770 of which the present application is acontinuation-in-part, I have disclosed a novel process of, and apparatusfor, applying natural or synthetic resin or other plastic or similarsizing material to a continuous length of sheer openmesh fabricimmediately after it leaves the needle-bank of the knitting machine orthe like and while said length of fabric is still under the tensionunder which it was formed, and thereafter sending it through appropriatedrying and/or setting operations whereby the resin or other sizingmaterial Will harden so that the treated fabric will assume its finalsized nonentangling form before release of the original tension underwhich it was knitted or otherwise formed.

According to the present invention, I have found that particularlybeneficial results are obtained when the sheer open-mesh fabric istreated (preferably according to the process of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 32,645, led June 12, 1948) with a solution ofnylon; the nal nylon-coated open-mesh fabric having superior qualitiesin various respects.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred,although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities ofwhich the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized andthat the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements andorganizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the following drawings like reference characters refer to like parts.

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of an 3 embodiment of the presentinvention as it appears in use.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary elevational View on a greatly enlargedscale of the open-mesh hair-net fabric, the selvage ends not beingshown.

Referring to the drawings the hair-net I of the present inventioncomprises a plurality of textile threads joined together to form anopenmesh structure. The threads are joined together to form adiamond-shaped pattern when taut in two directions at a right angle toeach other.

The textile threads are coated with nylon or the like at the junctionpoints i2, which nylon coating forms a protective outer layer for thethreads and also permanently adheres the threads together to provide arelatively strong more or less form-retaining and more vor lessnonentangling open-mesh hair-net.

The selvage edges I 4 of the hair-net are formed with elastic threads orstrands (such strands preferably consisting of an inner core ofsynthetic or natural rubber around which a thread of the same color asthe hair-net is wound). lThe terminal loops of the hair-net are passedover the selvage edge.

In carrying out the process of the present invention, I iii-st prepare atreating-bath by dissolving nylon (which is a polyamide-type syntheticresin containing a large number of amide linkages as disclosed, forexample, in Patents 2,071,250 and 2,071,251) in an appropriate solvent.I preier to employ those polyamide-type resins which are soluble inalcohol-water mixtures, as disclosed, for example, in Patent 2,416,041,

While this solution can be applied to the sheer open-mesh fabric invarious ways (as for example spraying, dipping, etc), I prefer to applyit in the manner disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No.32,645; that is, by passing the fabric under the original tension as itcomes from the needle-bank, across one or more rolls wholly or partiallyimmersed in the treating-bath so as to stretch the fabric and thereby toinsure thorough penetration and coating of the fabric by the solution.Thereafter, the coated fabric is passed over the drying rolls forhardening the coating; the rolls themselves being internally heated (byelectric heating coils or by steam or the like) or, instead, externalheat beingI applied by means of a heated reflector-shield or a bank ofheating-lamps or the like, all as more fully disclosed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 32,645.

rIhe nylon-containing treating-bath may be prepared by dissolving thenylon in a mixture of ethanol and water or isopropanol and water.

By way of illustration, a 25% solution of nylon can be prepared bydissolving nylon granules in a solvent containing 80 parts of ethanol(or isopropanol) and 20 parts of water at a temperature of approximately160 F., with vigorous agitation.

A solution of this concentration tends to gel on standingI overnight.However, gelled solutions can be restored to effectiveness by simplywarming the container somewhat.

Soiutions containing a smaller percentage of nylon, as for example willstand for ten and even longer without gelling.

The addition of a small amount (for example 1% by weight or the solvent)of furfural or furfuryl alcohol, will greatly facilitate the dissolvingof the nylon and will substantially prolong the period during which thesolution will stand without gelling.

As more fully described in my co-pending application Serial No. 32,645,filed June l2, 1948, a plurality of individual strips of sheer open-meshfabric (which may, optionally, have the structure disclosed in my Patent2,428,071, wherein individual chains of knitted loops are drawn andfastened to one another, alternately left and right in generally Zig-zigfashion by floating inlay threads so as to provide a generallydiamondshaped construction) disposed in laterallyspaced relationship bytemporary connecting threads may be formed on a conventional Raschelknitting machine and may be drawn, directly from the needle-bank of theknitting machine through an elongated trough containing thetreating-bath (the strips passing over one or more rolls partly and/orwholly immersed in the treating-bath so as to stretch the fabric and toensure better penetration and coating of the fabric), after which thestrips may be drawn over one or more rolls to effect drying, with orwithout heating of the fabric (by heating coils disposed witliin adrying cylinder or within a rcector-shield disposed closely adjacentthereto, or by a bank of heating-lamps or the like) so that the solventof the treating-bath is removed by evaporation and so that the nylonhardens or solidiiies in-situ, and without release of the originaltension under which the strips were knitted.

In this way, tangling of the untreated openmesh material prior to thecoating operation is avoided.

This treating of the open-mesh material results in the formation of athin protective coating or outer layer of nylon upon the individualthreads and loops of the netted material and, in addition, hardens orsets at the juncture points of the loops so as to insure a much strongerfinal structure.

I have found that open-mesh netted fabric, when treated with nylon inthe manner described above, is markedly superior to the untreatedfabric, and is also superior to fabric treated with most other syntheticresins or other sizing materials, in its strength, non-entanglingcharacteristics and body or form-retaining properties. These propertiesare particularly advantageous when the open-mesh fabric is made up intohair-nets, veilings or curtains, 0r the like.

At the same time, this outer coating of nylon improves the sheen andtexture of the treated fabric, and renders it markedly superior inappearance compared to untreated material or to material treated withmost other synthetic resins or other sizing materials so that articlesconstructed of this nylon-coated open-mesh material have greatercustomer-appeal and are much more easily sold than would otherwise bethe case.

In addition, I have found that nylon-treated open-mesh fabric isappreciably more flame-resistant than the untreated fabric, as well asfabrics treated with other sizing materials, so that the danger ofaccidental nre is substantially minimized.

The present invention may be embodied in other speciiic forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it istherefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent:

1. A sheer open-mesh hair-net having. large and generally diamond-shapedopenings therein when taut in two directions at a right angle t0 eachother, said openings being many times the size of the thread-thickness,said hair-net being formed of relatively thin textile threads boundingsaid openings and forming a plurality of junction-joints contiguous witheach opening, at which junction-points diiierent threads are secured toeach other, a nylon coating extending over said threads and extendingover and enveloping said junction-points, said nylon coating forming aprotective outer layer for said threads and also permanently adheringtogether threads at the junction-points thereby to provide a relativelystrong, more or less form-retaining and more or less non-entanglingopen-mesh hair-net.

2. In the manufacture of a sheer open-mesh hair-net having large andgenerally diamondshaped openings therein when taut in two directions ata right angle to each other, the process which compriese knitting undertension an elongated strip of sheer open-mesh knit structure ofrelatively thin uncoated textile threads with the openings in adjacentrows being staggered in relation to each other and with each openingbounded by threads secured to each other at four junction-pointscontiguous with each opening, continuously coating said open-mesh knitstructure with a solution of nylon while it is moving from the aforesaidknitting operation under the aforesaid tension, so as to coat andenvelope only the aforesaid junction-points and the threads between suchpoints without however in any way closing the openings by such coating,and thereafter continuously drying the so coated knit structure undertension so as to cause the setting of the nylon on the threads and oversaid junction-points and adhering to each other and en- Veloping theinter-looping portions of the threads at said junction-points.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 280,886 Ward July 10, 1883 1,758,665 Hofner May 13, 19302,020,694 Mauritsch et al. Nov. 12, 1935 2,058,476 Lovett Oct. 27, 19362,135,711 Hiers Nov. 8, 1938 2,138,876 Novak Dee. 6, 1938 2,220,958Jennings Nov. 12, 1940 2,297,881 Fuller Oct. 6, 1942 2,301,703 HumphreysNov. 10, 1942 2,313,058 Francis, Jr. Mar. 9, 1943 2,320,088 Leekley May25, 1943 2,416,041 Austin Feb. 18, 1947 2,428,071 Goldsmith Sept. 30,1947 2,433,279 Johnson Dec. 23, 1947

